The Forsaken Luna Chosen by Three Alphas

The Silver Light

The rogue's jaws snapped shut inches from Lyra's face. She threw herself sideways. Its teeth crashed into the tree trunk behind her, splintering the bark.

Lyra rolled across the forest floor and scrambled to her feet, clutching the broken branch with both hands.Ten rogue wolves surrounded her. Their yellow eyes glowed with bloodlust.

Their snarls vibrated through the clearing. There was nowhere to run. No one to call. For one terrifying heartbeat, she wondered if this was how her story would end. Rejected by her mate. Abandoned by her pack.

Devoured in a forgotten forest before the sun had fully risen. "No." She tightened her grip on the branch. "If I'm going to die..."Her breathing steadied. "...I'll make you fight for it." The largest rogue lunged again. Lyra swung with everything she had.

Crack!

The branch slammed across the beast's muzzle. It yelped more from surprise than pain.The others attacked at once. She ducked beneath one pair of snapping jaws only to feel another wolf's claws rake across her shoulder.A sharp cry escaped her lips.

Warm blood soaked through her torn sleeve. The scent filled the clearing.

The rogues became even more frenzied. High above, Ethan shifted uneasily. "They're going to kill her."

Rowan remained still. "Wait."Ethan stared. "My King, with all due respect, waiting is exactly how people die." Rowan's icy gaze never left Lyra. "Trust me." Lyra stumbled backward until her spine struck an ancient oak. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs. The wolves spread into a perfect circle. They were herding her.

The largest one stepped forward slowly. Unlike the others, it wasn't rushing. It was enjoying her fear. It lowered its head and growled. A warning. A promise. Then it charged. Lyra closed her eyes. Not in surrender. In acceptance. She had fought. She had survived as long as she could.

She whispered the only prayer she could remember. "Moon Goddess..." "If you truly rejected me..." Her voice trembled. "...please don't let my mother blame herself." The rogue leaped. Its shadow swallowed her.

Then—

The necklace burned. Not warm. Hot. Blindingly hot. A brilliant silver light erupted from the crescent crystal hanging around her neck. The clearing exploded with radiance. The rogue wolf let out an agonized howl before being thrown backward as though struck by an invisible wall.

One by one, the others recoiled. Some whimpered. Others tucked their tails. The largest rogue hit the ground several yards away and refused to rise. Its eyes, once filled with madness, now held unmistakable fear.The silver light spread across the clearing like moonlight made solid.

Every leaf shimmered. Every tree glowed. Time itself seemed to stop. Lyra stared at the necklace. "What...?" She had never seen anything like it. The crystal floated slightly above her chest, suspended by an unseen force. Symbols she couldn't understand appeared within the light.

Ancient. Beautiful.Powerful. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun... The light vanished. The necklace dropped back against her skin. The forest became quiet once more. Not a single rogue remained. They had fled.Silence lingered.Lyra's knees buckled.

She caught herself against the tree before collapsing completely. Her shoulder throbbed. Her body shook uncontrollably. "What just happened?" No answer came. Only the rustling of leaves. Far above, Ethan's mouth hung open.

"I..." He looked at Rowan. "...Did you see that?" "Yes." "That wasn't ordinary magic." "No. Ethan swallowed hard. "That symbol..." "I've only seen it once." Rowan nodded. "So have I." Neither man spoke the name aloud. They didn't need to. Every royal child had been taught the oldest legend. The Crest of the Moon Queen.

A low groan reached Lyra's ears. She turned toward the largest rogue. It hadn't escaped with the others. It lay injured near the edge of the clearing. One of its hind legs was twisted unnaturally. The beast tried to stand. It collapsed. Again. And again. Lyra stared.

This creature had tried to kill her. One bite. That's all it would have taken. She should leave. She should run before it recovered. Instead... She sighed. "I've completely lost my mind." Slowly, cautiously, she approached. The rogue bared its teeth weakly. "It's all right." She stopped several feet away. "I'm not going to hurt you." The wolf growled. But it didn't attack. Its strength was gone. Lyra tore a strip from the bottom of her dress. "You probably don't understand me."

She smiled sadly. "But I've been injured before."She knelt beside the beast. Her hands trembled as she wrapped the makeshift bandage around its leg. The rogue watched her in confusion. No fear. No hatred. Only confusion.

When she finished, she slowly stood. "There." She stepped back."You'll have a better chance now." The wolf remained motionless. As if unable to understand why its prey had shown mercy.Hidden in the trees, Ethan whispered,

"She helped it." Rowan nodded. "Yes."

"It tried to kill her. "I know." Ethan frowned. "Most Alphas would've finished it." "She's not most Alphas." "No..." Rowan watched Lyra begin walking away from the clearing. "...she isn't." Miles away... Inside the Silver Moon Pack...

Alpha Kael jerked awake with a gasp. Pain exploded through his chest. He grabbed the edge of his desk to steady himself. His breathing became ragged. "What is happening?"

A knock sounded immediately. "Alpha?" Beta Logan entered without waiting.The moment he saw Kael's face, he frowned. "You look terrible." Kael ignored the comment. "My chest..." He pressed a hand against his heart. "It won't stop hurting." Logan hesitated. "I think..."

He reached into his satchel. "...you should see this." He unfolded an ancient scroll taken from the pack archives.Most of the ink had faded with time. Only one sentence remained perfectly clear.

Logan pointed to it. "A true mate bond cannot be broken by rejection if it was forged for a purpose greater than two hearts." Kael stared at the words His face slowly lost all color. "What does that mean?" Logan looked him directly in the eye. "I think..."

He took a deep breath. "...you're still bonded to Lyra." The room fell deathly silent. Far away, deep within the Forbidden Forest, Lyra paused mid step. A strange ache bloomed in her chest.

Not painful. Familiar. As though somewhere... Someone had just spoken her name.